The effects of executives with foreign experience on capital structure adjustments toward targets: Evidence from China

Abstract

This study discusses the impact of executives with foreign experience on decisions involving corporate capital structures. Based on a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies, this study finds that firms with (more) executives with foreign experience adjust to the optimal capital structure faster. The effect exists mainly for over-levered firms that need to deleverage. The empirical results remain robust when using alternative methods to estimate target leverage, excluding the effects of mechanical adjustments, controlling the impact of corporate governance, and using the full sample to test asymmetric effects. In addition, firms managed by executives with foreign experience tend to maintain low leverage for a long time. Overall, the results show that executives with foreign experience help companies adopt more efficient and conservative capital structure adjustment decisions. The results enrich the literature on the impact of foreign experience on corporate decision-making.